Sustained release dosage forms are designed to release a drug at a predetermined rate in order to maintain a constant drug concentration for a specific period of time with minimum side effects. This can be achieved through a variety of formulations, including liposomes and drug-polymer conjugates (an example being hydrogels). Sustained release's definition is more akin to a "controlled release" rather than "sustained". Carriers are also used in designs to increase the effectiveness of drug delivery to the target sites of pharmacological actions. Drug Carriers can be widely used in Drug Delivery systems like Vaccine Drug Delivery, Oral Drug Delivery, Ocular Drug Delivery, BBB Drug Delivery Systems, and also in Nanosystems like Nanosomes, Micro emulsions, Liposomes.

Their rapid Development arises from the ability to overcome the drawbacks of the currently employed therapeutic drugs, which exhibit poor biopharmaceutical and pharmacokinetic properties. Nanoparticle drug carriers provide alternative formulation strategies for those molecules thus enhancing the scope for commercialization. They are potential for prolonged drug release. The conference too offers growth to expand reserves of knowledge and explore newer realms.

A drug delivery system (DDS) is defined as a formulation or a device that enables the introduction of a therapeutic substance in the body and improves its efficacy and safety by controlling the rate, time, and place of release of drugs in the body. This process includes the administration of the therapeutic product, the release of the active ingredients by the product, and the subsequent transport of the active ingredients across the biological membranes to the site of action. The term therapeutic substance also applies to an agent such as gene therapy that will induce in vivo production of the active therapeutic agent. Drug delivery system is an interface between the patient and the drug. It may be a formulation of the drug to administer it for a therapeutic purpose or a device used to deliver the drug. This distinction between the drug and the device is important, as it is the criterion for regulatory control of the delivery system by the drug or medicine control agency. If a device is introduced into the human body for purposes other than drug administration, such as therapeutic effect by a physical modality or a drug may be incorporated into the device for preventing complications resulting from the device, it is regulated strictly as a device. There is a wide spectrum between drugs and devices, and the allocation to one or the other category is decided on a case by case basis. Sustained release (SR) preparations are not new but several new modifications are being introduced. They are also referred to as “long acting” or “delayed release” when compared to “rapid” or “conventional” release preparations. The term sometimes overlaps with “controlled release,” which implies more sophisticated control of release and not just confined to the time dimension.

The global market for ophthalmic devices, diagnostics, and surgical equipment was valued at nearly $16.9 billion in 2012, up from $16.2 billion in 2011. The market is expected to reach $20.2 billion in 2017, an increase of nearly $3.4 billion during the forecast period and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.7% from 2012 to 2017.